title: Electronic capture of dispensing data by the New Zealand Intensive Medicines Monitoring Programme: a consultation study of community and hospital pharmacists.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To obtain pharmacists' views on proposals for electronic transmission of dispensing data to the New Zealand Intensive Medicines Monitoring Programme (IMMP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Consultation with a randomly selected group of 100 community pharmacists and all 28 hospital pharmacies in New Zealand was conducted by postal survey. A specific questionnaire was designed to obtain pharmacists' views on several aspects of electronic data transmission including willingness to co-operate with a new system, awareness of other electronic systems and views on security.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Survey response rates were 95% for community pharmacists and 73% for hospital pharmacists. Ninety (95%) of the community pharmacists and 18 (95%) of the hospital pharmacists who responded stated they would use the IMMP proposed method of electronic data transmission. Some 91% of community pharmacists and 100% of hospital pharmacists considered the proposed new method would be equally or more secure than the present hard-copy system of posting dispensing records.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a high level of support from New Zealand pharmacists for electronic capture of prescription dispensing data for medicines monitored by the IMMP. This electronic method will now be implemented. Development of such systems is important for enhancing patient safety and pharmacovigilance programmes worldwide.
authors.affiliation: Intensive Medicines Monitoring Programme Department of Information Science Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin Pharmacy Department, Nelson Hospital, Private Bag 18, Nelson, New Zealand. mira.harrison-woolrych@otago.ac.nz
authors.forename: Mira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harrison-Woolrych
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jamieson
authors.forename: Muzaffar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malik
authors.forename: Alec
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holt
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Herbison
mesh_terms: D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D001330:Electronic Data Processing / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008510:Medication Systems, Hospital; D009520:New Zealand; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires